Artillery Employment At The Battle Of Gettysburg [Illustrated Edition] by Mark R. Gilmore

Author:Mark R. Gilmore [Gilmore, Mark R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ACW
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Published: 2014-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

The advancing Rebel infantry confirmed General Hunt’s earlier suspicions that an enemy assault would be directed against the Union center. The brief lull in the Confederate artillery fire made it possible for Hunt to issue orders- directing that four artillery reserve batteries be brought forward across the ridgeline which only minutes before had been saturated with exploding Rebel shells. These batteries were ordered to reinforce the center of the Union line. Hunt then moved to Lieutenant Colonel McGilvery’s position on the II Corps’ left. Here he instructed McGilvery to redirect his guns toward the right, thus enabling his batteries to enfilade the advancing Confederates right flank.{87} Hunt believed it was this enfilading fire that caused the Rebel lines to drift to their left as they attempted to distance themselves from the deadly fire of McGilvery’s batteries.{88} When the enemy infantry approached to within 300 yards of the crest both the Union infantry and the II Corps artillery opened fire, unleashing a withering fire of minie balls and canister shells.

It was in the vicinity of what is referred to as the Angle that the fiercest fighting of the afternoon took place. As Confederate infantry approached the low stone wall marking the leading edge of the Union positions, the reserve batteries earlier ordered forward by Hunt made their timely arrival into the gaps between II Corps units. These batteries were K Battery, 1st New York Artillery, A Battery, 1st New Jersey Artillery, C Battery, 5th U.S. Artillery, and the 1st New York Independent Battery. Rebel infantry successfully breached the II Corps line at several points, inflicting substantial damage upon several artillery batteries in the immediate vicinity. A Battery, 4th U.S. Artillery, the 1st New York Independent Battery, and B Battery, 1st New York Artillery all found themselves swarming with enemy infantry as gunners were forced into hand-to-hand fighting within their battery positions. All three batteries suffered numerous casualties before the combined fire of the artillery batteries in the II Corps sector and the flanking fire of the 8th Ohio Infantry Regiment of the II Corps, and Brigadier General Stannard’s 3rd Brigade of the I Corps threw back the remnants of Generals Pickett’s and Pettigrew’s divisions.{89}

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